Friday, 29 July 2011

Feature No.23 comes from an increasingly popular producer whose tight production and menacing basslines have seen continued airplay on Rinse and sustained support from some of the biggest DJ's in the scene. Shredexx combines a multitude of influences taken from his time living in cities around the world - notably Berlin and London - to build beats of real originality and quality wrought with sinister synths and powerful drums. With his recent E.P recieving positive reviews and support from the likes of Distance we caught up with Shredexx to ask a few questions and get his contribution to our expanding mix series.

HEDMUK: As an introduction, what's your name, where do you come from and how would you describe your sound?

Shredexx: I'm Shredexx, I'm a 22 year old producer originally from Hamburg, Germany but have lived in London, Australia and Germany intermittently over the last few years. My sound is probably best described as dark electronic music. I like to draw influences from techno, dubstep, drum n' bass and electronica and i spread those influences over various projects I do - with Shredexx my footing is firmly in dubstep.

H: What is it about darker, deeper music that appeals to you? How did you get in to creating this kind of music?

I think as your music taste develops; you're constantly looking for things which excite you, and the deeper, darker side of this sound really hit a note with me while i was studying in London. It was something that probably could never have captivated me as much as it did if i wasn't there. I remember the first club night i went to when I got to London was FWD and I knew straight away that I'd walked in to something special. I went to school in Sydney, Australia, and the club scene there was so under developed and it largely still is. But London's was thriving when I got there and it was such a pleasure to get in to when I did. Its such a familiar tale amongst dubstep producers; but thats one of the things I like about it. There's these sorts of cornerstones that have become a language to so many… you know, FWD, DMZ etc.

H: How do you go about building your beats? Do you have a set pattern of production?

S: Its always changing to be honest; so you go through periods of having certain methods, then after a few days, weeks or months you tend to switch it up a little bit. That way you constantly learn new things and keep your production moving forward and fresh. I can say that the way i used to make beats a few years back is completely different to the way I do it now.Generally speaking, you get a little idea in your head, whether its something you thought of, heard or just think would sound good and you start there. It could be a baseline, a sound or a drum beat; and what usually makes the cut is for further work is when its good. If thats the case, you keep going and build layer after layer until you've got something strong that you can visualise working in a club or a mix or something. I guess thats the thing about club music - it has to work on the dancefloor and a lot of the time; thats my goal.

H: How much of an influence is living in Berlin/Germany on your music? Do you pick up sounds and influences from the local scene?

S: Well Berlin is a special place. The main language there is techno, and thats something that really rubs off. I remember when i was 12 or 13 I thought techno was some kind of joke… repetitive beats, next to nothing happening, nothing memorable. But over time i realised I couldn't have been more wrong. Its a music that thrives on grooves and instantaneous feeling rather than what you might expect from 'dance' music (I hate that term). It can be big without being loud, and can be really rhythmic without too much going on. But location is an interesting thing, because it definitely dictates a large part of your thought processes as far as what you build goes. London was seminal for me as it started and helped me cultivate my interest in dubstep. When I moved back to Australia it allowed me to take a step back and focus on what I liked about the London sound and really develop a little bit more independently. Especially because there were big shifts over the last few years that i wasn't necessarily as excited about as what I first heard. Berlin will be another chapter that im really looking forward to reading in to more and more as time goes on.

H: You've been getting alot of love from Distance. How does it feel to be supported by one of the biggest names in Dubstep?

S: It's really really flattering. Distance was one of the guys whose tracks I heard and really felt wowed by, and I still do. His Rinse show has really become something special over the years. He's championed some really important people, in this sound and in many others. I think he was even the first person to play one of the tracks off James Blakes' first release. It's so important to get support, not just from the big names, but from everyone, because the life of making beats is pretty solitary these days. You don't need to go out spreading your music on records or cd's anymore so a lot of the personal connections have dissipated. You make the beats alone in your bedroom, so if you're not sending your music out to people, no one will ever hear it except maybe your close friends and neighbours.Having Distance play my tracks is a big confirmation, and on top of that things like that really fuel a desire to keep going and keep on building; because thats what its ultimately about: Building beats, enjoying that and then showering down a club with them.

H: With your recent E.P getting positive reviews, we wondered what your musical goal was. A release on Chestplate has got to be right up there?

S: I think something like that is still a long way off. But it would obviously be a dream come true for me, as Distance really is an influence and a tastemaker for me. But yeah, a release on Chestplate is definitely something I aspire to, their output has been so consistent over the years and it would be an absolute honour.As far as musical goals go, I rarely make a beat where I sit back and am completely happy with it. I have this conversation with a lot of people who produce these days. I think even a few years ago, when a lot of dubstep DJ's were still using vinyl and you had to get a plate cut to get your beat in their bags it was different, because no one is willing to shell out cash to get a half-done beat cut to dub. But now its flipped; CD's have really opened things up for producers, for better or worse.. because you kind of get lazy knowing someone can just burn this on to a CD and hit play. That's another one of my musical goals I guess, just to carry on making beats and making sure they continue to improve.

S: I always find doing mixes quite difficult. Is it a matter of trying to show people your own new stuff? or should you be going in trying to just put together an hour of quality beats? I think its a mixture of the two, but certainly leaning towards the latter. So I guess the mix is a bit of a statement from me as to where I'm at and what I'm doing, and at the same time just some beats that im into at the moment. Theres a lot of stuff from producers im in contact with and feeling at the moment so i hope its the same for you!

H; Finally, are there any forthcomings or projects in the pipeline that you want to put the word out about?

S: At this stage Im really enjoying making beats. More than ever i guess, so I just want to keep on doing that! Theres a lot in the pipeline, but nothing set in stone just yet. At the moment whats most important to me is that I keep on developing in what I like doing. Making beats and more beats. But don't worry, I hopefully wont be quiet for long.